Molding clips have become important articles of commerce, particularly in the automotive industry. For example, when assembling automotive interiors, elongated trim strips, generally formed of chrome-plated sheet metal or like materials, are often used to cover the gap between the interior of the windshield, backlight or a fixed window and the adjacent body structure, or to bridge the roof side rail and headliner, or to bridge gaps between other spaced members, thus providing a more pleasing appearance to the automobile's interior.
Such elongated trim strips had long been fastened with sheet metal screws which were passed through holes in the strip and received in a suitable support, such as a based panel disposed in the gap betwen a window retaining structure and the body structure of the automobile. Fastening trim strips with sheet metal screws, however, can give rise to problems.
It is sometimes necessary to remove an already fastened strip. If the strip had been fastened with screws, reaffixing it can lead to misalignment, to distortion of the slots and heads of the originally-used screws (and consequently to the need to discard and replace the screws) and to damage to the mating holes in the base panel. Perhaps an even more serious problem is the possible distortion and inevitable loss of smooth surface appearance in the trim strip caused by inserting screws through the strip and setting them from above the strip's smooth upper surface.
A solution to many of these problems was provided by molding clips such as those disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,175,303, issued Nov. 27, 1979, to Nicholas M. Benedetti; one of the present inventors, and assigned to USM Corporation ("the '303 patent"). Such molding clips can be used instead of machine screws to fasten trim, molding or applique strips, parts, panels and the like to a base or support, particularly a plastic base panel, in an automobile interior, and facilitate assembly of such decorative items while retaining these items' smooth surface appearance and minimizing distortion.